Union-suit



C. N. WINSHIP.

UNION SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1919.

1,389,922. PatentedSept 6,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES N. WINSHII, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WINSHIlP,

BOIT & 00., A CQPARTNERSHIP CONSISTING OF CHARLES N. WINSI-IIP ANDELIZA- vIBETI'I E. BOIT, BOTH OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

UNION-SUIT.

Application filed May 8,

T 0 all to 7mmz't may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES N. lVINsHIr, acitizen of the United States, residing at lVakefieltLin the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvementsin Union-Suits, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a. specification, like referencecharacters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to undergarments of that type known as unionsuits, and it aims to improve this type of garment with a viewespecially to facilitating the manufacture of these garments improvingtheir wearing qualities and contributing to the comfort of the wearer.The invention is especially concerned with union suits of the closedcrotch type for men and boys. This style of garment has many advantagesover the open crotch style but it has proved difficult to devise agarment of this character which will give the desired opening at theback of the garment and will still be com-' fortable to wear. It is oneof the objects of this invention to solve this problem. The inventionalso is directed to the improvement of the construction of the back ofthe garment, especially the flaps that close the posterior opening inthe garment, the binding of the edges of the fabric and the reinforcement of the fabric and seams.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims. I In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a union suit embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the seat por tion and adjacent parts ofthe garment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the seat flap open;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view showing the method of binding the edgesof the fabric; and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view through the crotch seam of the garment.

The garment shown comprises a body 2 and legs 3 made of a knittedfabric, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

1919. Serial No. 295,606.

back part of the garment being cut away to provide the usual posterioropening. For the purpose of closing this opening a side flap 4 issecured to oneedge of the opening, as best shown in Fig. 3, this flapbeing of triangular shape and secured to the body by seams 5 and 6. Aseat fiap 7 has one edge secured to the opposite edge of the posterioropening by seams 8 and 9. The seams 6 and 9 form continuations of eachother and together form the crotch, seam of the garment. The seat flap 7is provided with a buttonhole designed to cooperate with a button 10 tosecure the flap in its closed posi tion, this buttonhole being locatedabout midway between the crotch of the garment and the upper end or apexof the flap 7.

The upper edge of the posterior opening in the garment is indicated at12, Fig. 3, and it will be seen from an inspection of this figure thatthis edge extends horizontally of the body of the garment and lies at aconsiderable distance below the apex 13 of the flap 7. It will be notedthat this apex 13 is substantiallyin the median line of the garment andthat the lower ends of the free edges of the fiaps 4 and 7 terminate inthe crotch seam at points on the same side of the median line of thegarment as is the button 10, so that when the flap 7 is closed the freeedges of both flaps lie entirely at one side of the median plane of thebody. The piece of. material which is covered by the flap 7 when it isin its closed position is structurally integral with the body of thegarment instead of being a separate piece or gore set into the body, asfrequently is the case,- and the lower margin of this part is turnedover and stitched to form a hem 14. The ribbing in the fabric runslongitudinally of the body of the garment so that it is very elastic ina lateral direction. This is a substantial advantage in the hem 14 andin the fabric immediately above the hem since it permits the widening ofthe posterior opening when desired and still tends to contract or narrowthis opening at other times.

In order to narrow the garment to the required width in the neighborhoodof the upper part of the flap 7 a V-shaped part of the fabric may be cutout at one side and the opposite edges united by continuing the seam 5upwardly beyond the point where this seam unites the flap 4 to the body.A

Patented Sept. 6, 1921'.

similar cut may be made in the fabric at the opposite side of the seatflap and the edges secured together by the seam 8 which also secures theupper part of the fiap 7 to the body of the garment. v

The free edges 15 and 16 of the flaps 4 and 7 preferably are bound inthe manner illustrated in Fig. 4, which is a transverse oross'sectionthrough theedge of the flap 7. It will be seen from an inspection ofthis figure that a tubular fabric 17 is folded flat and. slightlyoverlapped on the edge of the flap .7 and is sewed to the flap-by thestitches 18. The sewing machine used in performing this operationpreferably is the usual overseaming orfinishing machine much used inthemanufacture of underwear of this character. 'This constructionprovides a very strong binding, economical to manufacture, easilysecuredin place and very comfortable to wear.

1 Fig. illustrates the construction of the crotch seam where the flap 7joins the leg 3. These two parts are united by the usual seam 19 andthen a tube, preferably of knitted fabric is laid over the seam 19 onthe inside and is sewed to the fabric parts 3 and 7 at opposite'sides ofthe seam 19. This tube covers theseam completely and makes a verystrong, elastic, but entirely comfortable reinforcement.

In knitting the fabric from which the seat flap 7 is cut, an additionalthread preferably is introduced at a point in the knitting operation sothat the part of the fabric knit thereafter will be firmer and more substantial than that knit prior to the introduction of this additionalthread. In cutting the seat flap the pattern is laid on the goods insuch a manner that the lower portion of the flap beginning atapproximately the height of the buttonhole will be cut out from thisreinforced part of the fabric. This firmer fabric avoids the undesirablelooseness which otherwise would be present in thispart of the garment.Furthermore, because of the additional firmness of this material itassists in keeping the posterior opening of the garment closed. 7

What is claimed as new, is:

1. A union suit of the closed crotch type provided with a posterioropening having an upper edge extending transverselyof the body of thegarment, a flap for covering said opening and extending for asubstantial distance above the upper edge of said opening, one edgeof-said flap being secured to the body of said garment and the oppositeedge being free, the body portion of said garment and said flap havingcooperating means to fasten the flap in its closed position, and thebody of said garment having astructurally integral 'partthereofextending underneath the upper portion of said fiap'with the lower edgeof said part forming said transverse upper edge of said posterioropening.

2. A union suit of the closed crotch type provided with a posterioropening having an upper'edge extendingtransversely of the body of thegarment, flaps secured to the opposite edges of said opening andcooperating to close it, one of said flaps having an upper portion ofsubstantially triangular shape with the apex of said portion secured tothe body of the garment at a point considerably above said transverseedge and secured to the opposite edges of said open ing and cooperatingto close it, said seat flap havingan upper portion approximatelytriangular in shape and constructedto but ton to the body of the garmentsubstantially midway between the crotch and the upper end of the flap,the apex of said triangular portion being secured to said body at apoint considerably above the upper edge of said opening andsubstantially in the median line of the body of the garment, whereby thematerial of the body portion of the garment between the upper edge ofsaid flap and the upper edge of said opening is enabled to stretchlaterally.

a. In an undergarment, the combination of two fabric parts sewedtogether to form a seam, and a strip of tubular fabric c0v-, ering saidseam and sewed to the fabricrof the garment at opposite sides oftheseam. A. union suit of the closed crotch type comprising a body, legsdepending from said body, rear flaps secured to'said body and legs by aseam extendingthrough the crotch of the garment, and a tube of fabriccovering said seam and sewed to the fabric of the garment at oppositesides of the seam.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

, CHARLES N. WVINSHIP.

